Abstract:Objective To investigate the influence of modified transforaminal lunbar interbody fusion (TLIF) by open surgery and minimally invasive spinal endoscopy on perioperative clinical indexes, ODI score and intervertebral fusion rate of the patients with lumbar disc herniation combined with lumbar instability. Methods One hundred patients with lumbar disc herniation combined with lumbar instability were chosen and randomly divided into two groups including group A (50 patients) with open modified TLIF and group B (50 patients) with modified TLIF by minimally invasive spinal endoscopy. The operation time, the intraoperative blood loss volume, the postoperative drainage volume, the postoperative ambulation time, the VAS score, JOA score and ODI score before and after operation, and the interbody fusion rate were compared between both groups. Results There was no significant difference in the operation time between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). The intraoperative blood loss volume, the postoperative drainage volume and the postoperative ambulation time of the group B were significant better than those of the group A (P < 0.05). The VAS scores of both groups in 3 and 12 m after operation were significantly lower than those before operation (P < 0.05). The VAS scores of the group B were significantly lower than those of the group A in 3 m after operation (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the VAS scores between the 2 groups in 12 m after operation (P > 0.05). The JOA scores and ODI scores of both groups in 3 and 12 m after operation were significantly better than those before operation (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the JOA scores or the ODI scores in 3 and 12 m after operation between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the interbody fusion rate between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions Conventional open modified TLIF and modified TLIF by minimally invasive spinal endoscopy possess the same clinical effect in treatment of lumbar disc herniation combined with lumbar instability; but modified TLIF by minimally invasive spinal endoscopy can efficiently reduce the degree of surgical trauma, promote postoperative recovery process and decrease the pain degree after operation.